Cal Poly and Investment Banking

<p>Has anyone anywhere ever hear of a financial management student (graduated with a BS) from cal poly breaking into investment banking?</p>

<p>Maybe at boutique banks.</p>

<p>No, it can't be done. You're just trying to get into banking because it pays well. If you really wanted to go into finance, you would've worked your harder in HS and enrolled at a target school. Investment banking is not a trend that you can just hop on -- it's an elite profession reserved solely for those who have the intellectual acumen to close deals.</p>

<p>Or perhaps the intellectual acumen to post pretentious responses on a college discussion forum. What do the Cal Poly finance students end up doing? I do not have the convenience of asking their career-center staff, as I am not a student there, but rather a curious college enthusiast.</p>

<p>Most IB's are dumbasses... It's all about who you know; your best option is to date a girl who's dad is in it.</p>

<p>I would just major in Engineering at Poly, get above a 3.4, work for 4 years, 700 GMAT; apply! MBA's love engineering kids. Also, you don't have to be abused in your years an an analyst; you go straight to associate after biz school. By the way whomever was dissing this guy, chances are, you will never get in. Only about 99.7% of CC kids will step foot into a bank.</p>

<p>Also, people need to stop putting IB on a pedistool. Anyone can do it; I mean anyone. It is one of the easiest fields to do; you just work very long hours and get chewed out. If the banks really need to save money, instead of outsourcing; hire apes.</p>

<p>Go to Poly as Computer Science/Math double major. Get a 4.0. Attempt to get into Ibanking that way. Nevermind the fact that 4.0 CS/Math majors don't exist at Cal Poly.</p>

<p>I did see an IB analyst come out of Cal Poly one year. I can't remember if they were industrial engineering or some business degree though.</p>

<p>
[quote]
No, it can't be done. You're just trying to get into banking because it pays well. If you really wanted to go into finance, you would've worked your harder in HS and enrolled at a target school. Investment banking is not a trend that you can just hop on -- it's an elite profession reserved solely for those who have the intellectual acumen to close deals.

[/quote]
Many people at Poly have the "intellectual acumen to close deals". Lets not forget that 30% of the school is in engineering. Surely a few of those people have the "intellectual acumen" to build a pitch book and do some simplistic financial models.</p>

<p>The big issue is that it will be many years before Wall Street is once again hiring the numbers of new college grads that they were 2 years ago. This means that the few who get the jobs will have something truly unusual to offer. If you have that it won't matter where you come from.</p>

<p>Wow "OPENINGDOORS" is almost as pretentious as he is ignorant. I am enrolled in Cal Poly's finance program, and I seem to be the only person who can aptly respond to this thread's inquiry:</p>

<p>Last year two of my friends got I-Banking jobs (at Citi and Piper), so believe me when I say it is possible. It is very hard to land the job from Poly, but we are just as prepared as elitest pricks like "openingdoors". Because we didn't "work hard enough" in high school we therefore only care about the pay? How in the hell did you get accepted to a decent university? I'm guessing there was no interview, and that your daddy's got a fat wallet.</p>

<p>You're only almost a half year late..</p>

<p>I spent my last summer at one of the bulge bracket banks and one of the full time analysts was from Cal Poly.</p>

<p>Too late for who? That had to be said for anyone looking currently or in the future for Cal Poly I-banking info. I really don't care when he posted that absurd comment. But thanks for the constructive reply.</p>

<p>You have a shot if you've got A. stellar hs grades B. stellar college grades and C. stellar SATs. If not, network your way in. Find a few bankers and see if they can get you a job. That's pretty much it.</p>

<p>For me, its all about the network. Getting people to vouch for you is what matters the most. The rest is just icing on the cake.</p>

<p>As for the work. It is fundamentally easy, the underlying concepts aren't difficult. But those who are naturally smarter will do better. Why? They will navigate around excel and a computer much better and faster because they are quicker than most. I can guarantee you this, two finance grads from the same school with different gpas 2.0 and 4.0 and both tried their hardest, the 4.0 kid will wipe the floor with putting pitch books together. Not to say that the 2.0 kid can't learn but he will never have the speed and accuracy as the 4.0 kid. And that's what matters.</p>

<p>Its just ridiculous how many people put down "Advanced" for excel when they can't even program excel object models and don't even know enough shortcuts to put together a pitchbook quickly.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Its just ridiculous how many people put down "Advanced" for excel when they can't even program excel object models and don't even know enough shortcuts to put together a pitchbook quickly.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Except this is pretty irrelevant since it can be learned in about 5 minutes during the training program. I do agree that the smarter the better for figuring out shortcuts, but it's more like street smarts than book smarts; so it doesn't really necessarily translate that someone with a 3.8 GPA will be better at the job than someone with a 3.3 GPA. Not to mention that they are also looking for potential rainmakers during the interview process as opposed to those who will only be perfunctory analysts.</p>

<p>College grads get "Analysts" positions. They take all types (poly sci majors for instance), as long as you have the math and writing skills. Go for it.</p>

<p>there's a good amount from CP SLO... many are on wallsteetoasis
contact them</p>

<p>Here's my plan for you....</p>

<p>-Try to get 3.5 GPA & higher
-work in BB throughout your 4 years
- intern for at least 2 years
- major in either CS, math, business, physics, or economics
- network your ass off</p>

<p>Then you should be on your way to success!</p>

<p>Many on WS from CP SLO? Please! Do not make kids believe this is true! I love the school, spent my early years in the area. But in 30 years on WS, in a BB firm, I never encountered a single person at any level from Cal Poly. </p>

<p>I'm sure they are there because they are there in small numbers from everywhere. And CP is close enough to Silicon Valley to have many attending who are kids of the very connected. But please people, let's be honest with kids, you will not get an ibanking job on WS from Cal Poly unless you are VERY connected.</p>

<p>I don't think anyone said CalPoly and Wall Street</p>